A body has been recovered from the River Leie in Ghent. It is believed to be that of a 34-year-old man, who had been missing since Friday night after attending the Ghent Six Days indoor cycling event. The body was found after a search of the River Leie with specialised divers and using boats equipped with sonar.
After a search of waterways in the Ghent area by the fire service, the police missing persons unit stepped up its attempts to find Dietse Michielsen. The native of Wuustwezel (Antwerp Province) went missing on Friday night in Ghent's entertainment district.
CCTV pictures revealed the missing man had visited the Charlatan pub on the Vlasmarkt after attending the Ghent Six Days. A last trace of Michielsen was found at the Baudelo Park, on the banks of the River Leie. This led the missing persons unit to suspect that he had ended up in the river.
Divers from the civil protection unit started their search near the Baudelo Park moving on to the Portus Ganda area.
Search reaches bottom of the River Lys
‘Using sonar equipment, the bottom of the river was first searched,’ explains VRT journalist Stijn Defoirdt. ‘After more than an hour, the divers finally found the body of the man from Wuustwezel.’
The man's family were also present during the search and were immediately informed when the body was found. How the man ended up in the water is the subject of further investigation.
Increased flow
According to the Flemish waterways agency, the current of the River Leie was stronger than normal at the time of the disappearance. That was due to a planned lowering of the water level. This may have made conditions more difficult for the victim.
The East Flanders public prosecutor's office says that at present there are no indications of malicious intent or criminal activity.